The present invention relates to a suspension box for use in shipping items of furniture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a suspension box in the form of a hollow box construction which forms a platform within a container which is useful in shipping furniture.
Previous containers for use in shipping chairs or other items of furniture have included such configurations as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,127, in which a chair is attached to a support panel, which in turn is secured to the bottom of the box by means of a rail structure formed by two opposite flaps. The remaining two flaps are then employed to form the bottom of the box. In this prior art configuration, a slotted container with flaps to close the container is thus provided, and the support panel is an additional interior part which does not form the bottom of the container.
Other prior art containers employing base support units which form the bottom of the container include those such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,331,753 and 2,633,982. Each of these patents describes a base unit which supports the piece of furniture by bearing against the bottom of the front and back rails and/or side rails of the item of furniture. The legs of the item of furniture penetrate into the support base. Thus, any impact on the bottom of the container is transferred through the base into the frame of the furniture. The position of the suspension boards or holes for positioning the furniture are determined by the position of the legs on the item of furniture being packed, while the thickness of the base is determined by the length of the leg on the particular item of furniture. Such prior art construction as disclosed in these two latter patents requires that individual bases be built for each furniture frame of a different size.
By the present invention there is provided a suspension box construction which comprises an improved platform on which to attach an item of furniture to be shipped. The suspension box, which is constructed of corrugated fibergoard or other similar material, has four vertical faces, as well as a horizontal top wall and a horizontal bottom wall. The chair or other item of furniture can be packed so as to rest directly on the platform which is formed by the horizontal top wall of the suspension box. The cover for the container fits closely over the vertical faces of the suspension box and is fastened to these faces by means such as staples or adhesive to provide a complete enclosure for the item of furniture to be shipped.
Since the suspension box is made of fiberboard or other similar material, the platform face formed by the top wall of the suspension box, on which the chair, for example, rests, deflects slightly under the weight of the chair, or under the impact of the chair as the container bounces along in a truck or railcar. This deflection of the platform face cushions any shock which may be transferred into the legs of the chair during shipment, thus reducing the possibility of breaking legs or glue joints. The ability of the suspension box to absorb shock is an essential distinguishing feature of the present invention over prior art shipping containers having a bottom panel through which shock is transmitted directly to the lower portion of the article of furniture being shipped.
Thus, by the present invention, there is provided a new package construction for bulky products such as upholstered furniture or the like. A suspension box member defines a base or platform upon which the product is supported within the container. This suspension box member represents an essential distinguishing characteristic of the package construction of the present invention. A cover member may be provided to fit downwardly over the product for connection at its lower edges with the suspension box member. The cover may be of any desired construction such as a box with an open bottom or a slotted telescope cover for rectangular items. Various form-fit covers as disclosed herein may also be advantageously employed with the suspension box member of the present invention.
Included within the scope of the present invention is the use of a plurality of suspension boxes in one package construction, such as in the case where side chairs are packed two to a box, one up and one upside down, with the cover comprising a tube and suspension boxes employed as the top and bottom of the container. Also, in accordance with the present invention, the depth of the container may be varied by allowing the cover to fit only partially over the sides of the suspension box member. Other embodiments include that in which the suspension box has the item of furniture connected by a "shrink wrap," so that the item is completely suspended away from the outer walls of the container. In a further variation, the suspension box member may be employed as a compartment divider to hold various parts of the product.